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this dramatic event shocked many. But what of the annual toll from
chronic bronchitis, in Ilford in 1950—99 deaths, 1951—137 deaths, 1952—
131 deaths, 1953—160 deaths? This is not so dramatic, but is quite as
disturbing.
The American Disease.
Coronary disease, an affection of the blood vessels supplying the heart,
is now second from the top, with, in 1953 in Ilford, 248 deaths. A few
years ago in my preface, I mentioned this complaint, and gave a commonly
accepted view that it probably had some relationship to the consumption
of fats. Research on a vast scale is going on all over the world on this
matter, and people are gradually coming to the conclusion that an excess
consumption of fats, especially in men over middle age, predisposes to
coronary disease. Rationing is at an end, fats such as in butter, margarine,
cream, eggs and pork are most palatable, and among the most expensive of
foods. One would then conclude that the more prosperous nations would
suffer more from this disease, and this is true. Figures have shown that
the American male over middle age has a shorter prospect of life than
similar males in any country whose statistics are reliable, and these
American rates are entirely due to coronary disease. In fact we may now
call it the American Disease. Even on our doorsteps we can note this
social difference, for Ilford people, who are on the whole more prosperous
than those living in Barking have, as I showed in an earlier preface, a
higher death rate from this condition.
Cancer of the Lung.
Last year 61 Ilford people died from lung cancer. At the risk of
being considered tedious, 1 would like to reiterate what 1 have said before,
and assure readers that informed medical opinion is more than ever convinced
of the relationship between cancer of the lung and smoking, especially
heavy cigarette smoking. If you cannot stop smoking yourself, at least
encourage the youngsters not to commence the habit.
Civilization.
In many of the less developed parts of the world the inhabitants suffer
from undernutrition, malaria, a great variety of parasite diseases, their lives
are short, and great numbers of their children die before the age of one
year. Enormous efforts are being made to better their lot, to bring industry
(and smoke) to them, better food (and more fats), higher wages (and more
cigarettes). Will they then die of chronic bronchitis, coronary disease, and
cancer of the lung, as one of the benefits of their newly found civilization,
and perhaps suffer from psychoneurosis (which does not appear on death
certificates)? Without doubt industrialization will bring enormous benefits,
but it will also bring disadvantages that may be prevented.
THOSE BOTH AGED AND HANDICAPPED
It is not always realised that there are two groups of old people, the
old age pensioner (some 23,000 of them in Ilford), and also a very much
smaller group, those who are both aged and severely handicapped (probably
not more than a few hundred). The former class are of no more concern
to the Public Health Department than the rest of the population. The
more independent, the better housed, the happier, the more liberally pensioned
the old age pensioner, the better pleased the Public Health Department;
not only because we are glad to see contented and healthy old
people, but if they are well and happy there are fewer of them in the handicapped
group; and our resources are sufficiently stretched already.
A satisfactory solution to the problem of those bath aged and severely
handicapped is not likely to be provided by increasing their pensions,